The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-04-16

laugh, and then became suddenly serious.
"Do you know what l found out when
was looking for you in Londen?' he said.
mo; tell me
THAT your Veronica is in love with the
Colonel"
Percy, you are dreaming"
Il am certain / am not. / happen to
know how people feel and look under such
circumstances. You take my word for it.
| She is n grand creature
"And he" she cried, clapping her hands
rapturously. He is one Of the best men
| in the world. Il would be like poem.
| like romance. Yes; see it all now. l
| wonder / never thought Of it before. When
| are we going homer"
Il think next spring"
~Oh, dear. what long time. should
| like to be there now. Percy. We must
bring them together"
"We will try, Lefty, but we must not be
| too precipitate. From all / hear, their
friendship is progressing satisfactorily
But friendship-that is SO cold" said
Lefty.
1T may pave the way for something
| troubling you Percy broke into
warmer" said Percy, smiling. 1T is, at
least, good beginning
With this Lefty was obliged to be con-
| tent; but, through that autumn and winter
| in India, she often thought of her friends
in England.
That Percy proved true prophet is al
most all that we have space to say here.
Common interests had drawn Colonel
Lyndon and Veronica Browne together.
During tbs months they were searching for
Lefty they met almost every day. He
began by admiring her. No one who came
| in contact with her, who saw her high
spirit and vigor Of mind in constant exer-
else, and had the opportunity of observing
| her superiority to the ordinary feminine
weaknesses, could have failed to admire
Veronica. She was, as Percy had said,
grand creature. The Colonel soon came
to rely upon her. They were both in posi-
tons of almost singular isolation; they had
both powers OF mind and body which they
longed to employ for the good Of human
ity; and neither of them was quite sure
how to employ therl. Few but those who
have been actually III such situation know
| what it means. For most Of us our task is
mapped out. There are certain objects We
| must pursue: only the fragments of our
time are our own.
Colonel Lyndon and Veronica wera free
| to choose their own tasks, and it was their
| similarity of position, with the anxious
sense of responsibility, not toward man
alone, but toward their Divine Master,
which first drew them together In the bonds
| of sympathy. That they struck out be-
tween them large plans of notwithstanding,
| long before they came finally 10 realize
| how much they were to one another, Ner-
| onica's money and talent, and the Colonefs
| tlme power of influence. and unusual gen.
tleness and benignity had proved of good
service in some Of the darkest corners
of our great and terrible London-this
is too well known by those who have
the honor of knowing them TO
require to be told here. When, in the
| spring of the year that followed the Afghan
war, Percy-he was Major Winstanley now
returned from India with his wife, this
| was the state of affairs between their
friends. 1t required but spark to fan the
| slumbering embers of affection between
| them into flame.
That spark was kindled by the hand of
| Percy.
1t was after an evening party at Veroni-
cas- house, given in honor of himself and
| his wife.
| Lefty had gone to the hotel where they
| were staying and he and the Colonel had
| strolled to their club to finish the evening
| there.
They had been speaking Of all that had
| happened since they met. All at once
| Percy said, looking at the Colonel smiling
| ingly. Lefty and l have been hoping that
| when We came back we should be able to
congratulate you
con what?'
| Don't pretend not to know, my dear
fellow. We should be blind if We did not
see what was going on"
| You mean my friendship with Miss
| Browne. Really" said the Colonel, with
| u little irritation of manner, you are as bad
as the rest of the world. Isn't it possible
for q man and woman to be friends with
out every one jumping to the notion that
they must be lovers? | have the greatest
respect and affection for Miss Browne"
| Respect and Affection" said Percy,
| mischievously.
II repeat the words. There is nothing
| singular in them"
And do you suppose that Miss Browne
has respect and affection for you, Colonel"
My dear fellow, pray don't ask me such
/ foolish questions
| "Are they foolish questions, Colonel?
What if Lefty and had come to the con-
| elusion, having watched Miss Browne mar
| rowly. that she had respect and affection
for you-that she had more-that SO long
/ ago rs the summer when she showed 30
much interest in Castle Ettrick she had
felt the same? That, in fact am making
| you angry, Colonel"
| Il think it pity to make ladies the SUBJ
| ject of conversation" said the Colonel,
with dignity.
| Percy was silent at once, fearing he had
| gone too far. Whether this were SO or not,
what he had said remained in the Coloners
| mind. He, too, began to watch Veronica,
and q thousand little incidents meaning
| little alone, but almost overwhelming in
| their evidence when taken together, sprang
| to his mind.
| He was a man Of the deepest humility.
and it was long before he could convince
| himself that he was not the victim of illu-
| sion. What could she, a rich, handsome,
and high spirited girl, have seen in him to
win her heart? 1t was impossible. He
could not believe it.
One day he made discovery. 1t came
to his ears, through a side wind, that High
| Cliffe, the old property of his family, had
been bought by Miss Browne.
When he spoke to her of this-for he
could not keep his knowledge of it secret
spoke TO her TREMENDOUSLY, being strongly
moved-Veronica, for the first time, be-
trayed herself.
Colonel Lyndon" she said, when for a
| few minutes she had given way to her
agitation, forgive me my folly. 1 should
never have told you this. / tried to hide it
| from you. | bought High Cliffe that-that
it might be yours again. thought / was
going to die. That was very foolish. 1
had left it to you by will"
| But why-why-,' cried the Colonel
my dear-why did you do this2'
| Because you are my hero and my king"
answered the young girl proudly. Colonel
| Lyndon, you are answered. Let us bid one
another good-by."
|
That they did not bid one another good
| by-that they lived to be better and nearer
friends than ever-it is scarcely, perhaps,
| necessary to add